Lincoln Tech Graduate Receives National Honor from ACCSC
WEST ORANGE, N.J., Aug. 27, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Lincoln Educational Services Corporation (NASDAQ: LINC), a national leader in specialized technical training, has announced that Zacharey Smith, a 2015 graduate of the Denver, CO campus, has been named Outstanding Graduate of the Year by ACCSC, the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges. Smith, who graduated from Lincoln's Diesel and Truck Service Management career training program, owns and operates Best Mobile Auto & Diesel, a mobile mechanic service company based in Denver.
"It's still hard to put into words," Smith says. "This recognition from ACCSC means so much to me. It feels like an endorsement and validation of all the hard work that's gone not only into building Best Mobile, but also of what it took to get here."
"It all started with Lincoln Tech," he adds. "Moving to Colorado without family or friends, Lincoln became my newfound family and home during the time I trained there," Smith says. "I'll always be grateful for the foundation they provided and how they helped me follow my dreams and transform my life."
Smith launched Best Mobile in 2013, even before completing his career training at the Denver campus, providing mobile vehicle repair and maintenance services for both corporate and private clients. With an eye toward delivering an outstanding customer experience, he found demand for Best Mobile services rapidly expanding as word of mouth grew.
Best Mobile took a major step forward in 2016 when Uber contracted Smith's business to establish a repair facility dedicated exclusively to Uber drivers. His business has serviced more than 150,000 vehicles, and now also contracts with rideshare service HopSkipDrive and getaround.com to service and maintain their vehicles as well.
Dr. Kelly Moore, President of Lincoln Tech's Denver campus, cites Smith's academic achievement while at Lincoln as a foundation of his nomination, and notes how his ongoing relationship with the campus has benefitted Lincoln Tech's students since he graduated.
"Zacharey achieved excellent grades and maintained a high attendance rate while in school - and worked full-time, developed a business plan and launched his own company in the process," Moore says. "His Lincoln Tech instructors described him as an innovative, forward-thinking visionary. He was always willing to help his classmates when they struggled, and now he's helping our graduates as an employer, mentor and advocate."
To that end, Smith is now working with the Denver campus to establish a mobile internship program that offers classroom instruction in addition to virtual options to help prepare Automotive and Diesel Technology students for the working world. He has also hired a number of Lincoln Tech graduates over the last five years. Furthermore, Smith and Best Mobile champion the cause of helping women achieve senior leadership and ownership roles in business, hiring and promoting female technicians for high-level management positions.
"The Lincoln Tech family is excited for Zacharey Smith's selection by ACCSC," says Scott Shaw, Lincoln Tech's President and CEO. "Our entire group of schools can be proud to say he is a Lincoln graduate, and to know that he received this award shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows him or has followed his progress. He was an exceptional student whose work ethic, drive, and desire to give back to others inspires everyone around him on a daily basis."
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has actually helped Smith's business grow. "We found ourselves labelled an essential service, providing critical business solutions at a time when people do not want to leave their homes or businesses to bring their vehicle to a shop," he says. "However, this is how we'd always operated. We were adamant about keeping our operation lean and delivering unparalleled service in spite of the healthcare challenges happening around us."
With Smith's leadership, Best Mobile is primed for continued growth in the years ahead - and the ACCSC recognition speaks to his company's potential as much as to his own achievements. Those achievements, he says, were a direct result of the training he received at Lincoln Tech.
About Lincoln Educational Services Corporation
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation is a leading provider of diversified career-oriented post-secondary education. Lincoln offers recent high school graduates and working adults career-oriented programs in five principal areas of study: automotive technology, health sciences, skilled trades, information technology, and hospitality services. Lincoln has provided the workforce with skilled technicians since its inception in 1946.
Lincoln currently operates 22 campuses in 14 states under four brands: Lincoln Technical Institute, Lincoln College of Technology and Euphoria Institute of Beauty Arts and Sciences. Lincoln also operates Lincoln Culinary Institutes in both Maryland and Connecticut.
For more information, go to lincolntech.edu.
Contact Information
Lincoln Educational Services Corporation
Peter Tahinos
(973) 736-9340 x49233
ptahinos@lincolntech.edu
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SOURCE Lincoln Educational Services Corporation
